Manchester City coaching staff believe they have found Kevin De Bruyne’s ideal replacement | OneFootball

A new claim has indicated a behind-the-scenes feeling at Manchester City in relation to ongoing efforts to sufficiently replace Kevin De Bruyne in their creative set-up.

De Bruyne’s influence on City’s success over the last nine years has been undeniable, with the Belgian playmaker acting as the heartbeat of Pep Guardiola’s midfield and offering some of the biggest moments in the club’s history.

However, with injuries becoming increasingly frequent in recent seasons and his long-term future under the spotlight as he edged into the final years of his contract, the Premier League giants have now moved on from his era as De Bruyne joined Napoli on a free move earlier this summer.

This summer saw City step up their creative recruitment with the arrival of French talent Rayan Cherki from Olympique Lyonnais. The 21-year-old was regarded across Europe as one of the brightest attacking midfielders of his generation. His technical ability, flair in tight spaces, and eye for the final pass have already drawn favourable comparisons to some of the game’s very best operators.

Pep Guardiola and his City staff have often stressed the importance of not simply replacing Kevin De Bruyne like-for-like, but instead evolving the squad in a way that spreads creative responsibility across multiple players.

New signings such as Tijjani Reijnders have been added to provide balance, while homegrown products like Oscar Bobb and Nico O’Reilly are expected to contribute in their own ways. Yet, it is Rayan Cherki who appears to have quickly caught the eye of coaching staff.

According to the information of ‘PurplePanel‘ on X, Cherki and Manchester City assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders have been working closely even after training, analysing Kevin De Bruyne’s data.

It is further detailed that coaching staff at the Etihad Stadium believe the France international is among the rare profiles capable of replicating the aforementioned Belgian’s patterns and ‘inheriting his killer instinct’ for the club.

While De Bruyne’s influence cannot be understated, the idea of moulding Cherki to step into his shoes signals long-term planning from Pep Guardiola’s backroom team. Cherki himself has spoken openly about his admiration for De Bruyne, and the opportunity to study him intensely could accelerate his adaptation to the Premier League.

For City supporters, the prospect of Cherki developing into the next creative heartbeat of the side will be an exciting one. His early injury setback – with a thigh issue ruling him out of the Premier League clash away to Brighton – may delay his momentum, but the faith shown by Guardiola and his assistants suggests he is seen as integral to the club’s future.

What happens next will largely depend on how quickly Rayan Cherki adapts to the physical and tactical demands of England. If he can consistently reproduce the vision and final-third productivity that Kevin De Bruyne provided, City may already have their answer to the question that has loomed over the Etihad in recent years in terms of who could replace arguably their greatest-ever player.